Well apparatus



J. LITTE LL WELL APPARATUS July 4, 1933.

Filed Feb. 17

. Patented July: 4, 1933 I I "mivms Lrr'neaar,omvrmimcmiso vmmzojim.

' ip mtitngfiea r etmary 1721932)swarm;59351333] v I '1 This inventionielzites t i ellf apparatus and more particulerlyito"improvements in" apparatus for backing ff end/or: rais ngzse'ctions of awell casing ortiibing; V

" An objectof my iHVGIltIOIL lS to provide 2;

practical and rugged device ortooI f oriback lng offv or unscrewing sect on's of a, well catsing. or tubing andiorraising the same; A

furtherobj'e ct is to provide app araitus of the abovecharacter which iscomposed ofrela-w tivelyfew partsso constituted and arranged in relation to 7 each other as to eflieientiy and efiectively perform the purposes for which the invention is int'ende'd. A fUr'ther object is to provide apparatus which maybe-readily inserted ina, well' casing or tubing end; when soarranged, maybeicoupiedtherewith where;

, bytounscrew a casing section or section-sand V raise the same, and whleh may beread ly 117,21 released from such v coupling -reletionand withdrawn from the casing whe-n n'ecessery; Other objects will be ini pa rt obvious and in part hereinafter pointed-out in connection iththe accompanying sheet: of drawing illustrating ane nbodiment oirny invention.

5;? which is to be raised and in nncolipled rel a tion therewith;

": Fig; 2 is {a vlew similar tothzit of showing the tool in coupIed-o vrelation ton case ing or tubingoseeticn;

" Fig.3 is a modification ofth-e device'iH-ujs- I trated in FigsQIandfZ; '1'

Fignlk is a face v1 wofa sliporl'wedgef i I i 'QQA p stonorpllingerfiiisarranged'for'r in accordancewith my invention; Q Flg; 5' 1s a side VleW thereof, ;.V and Q3 Fig; em section along lines 64-6 ofFig 'xililustratingthe connection between aIslip and? the body of the device e v 1 i Referring now to the drawing, therefer- V encecharacter 10 designatesajsectionoflthe 1. i casing o-r'tubing which is to be withdrawn, with the tool car-device in accordance with my "invention arranged therein wlth the casing.

1 The tool comprlsejsa spear body. 11

prior to coupling 50 eratllycirciilar cross section o and of, diaineter v which" the tube may be rotated; The b-ody 111 is centrally 1 16' for a portion of=i ts1en th.,

, is provided with -e ijtrgmsvers passingvtherethroughf permitting sufiieientclearencel in relation't'o vtheiinternaidiarneterofthe easing. Then-p; N per end of the body- 1 1 is reduced ina diameter as at 12" and-is threaded esiat l t'or connec eonto a; nipp1e14 which intern isthrezide'di l toitube l5ext endi'ng to a sou'ree-ofhydr'au lic pressure, snch-as' a pii'mpg the groiind. I

leveh'endul s'o coupledflto power means by bored as, at? and is thus in pressure" commun cating-R131 consequently body 11; 60

tion "with tube Bran-ch, bores '17, extending radially from the mainbore 16, serve "to "releesele'xcessof pressure therein. @T he said bore 16"terminatesl in ashouldei o'r'fseato 18 which opens into a conirhnnicatirigf bore 20' offpre-ferabiyr lesser "diameter. flthin bore I6. and which; similarly extends centrally and longitudinally of the body. '11 for eporfl tilon of its length. "Substantiallyfmidwayof 1 y thebody 11" there: is provided] it preferably ireitangular opening onslo-t 21which extends V transversely. thronghbody'fl andintolwhich the bore 20i0pen's." The relatively upper andv lower horizontal walls of thesIot 2 1 willfbe hereinafter refierred to 3522; 23 ,}re spective1y,

i The bo'ayjilLetitsilowermostend, 19pm videcl withra -fii'rthr centrally arranged bore 25 which; at its Dipper end',' extends wthe plunger; iiihid' its lower;end a I T" piece including a cross head '34 which inft irn' is. Operable in "the transverse slot 21 and-f between the wa11s 22,

thereof "Prefierablyj plunger; rod '33 is 7 upper horizonttifwall 22' ofgsl ot 2 1,"the lowerinostportion-iof"which is enlarged es/at 26 and threet'ded' as 213:2? for the reception and i H connection of -21' threaded 'shank of ttipIOr plq fi, Which-i0 1je e en l i ha i g aperture llthrea dedfint the cross heedf which has formed ot er dil. a do w r ly iv xt 'd g bushing ;}erranged within a} bushirigfBS ing 36 is of substantial length and has one end turned over as at 37 to form a seat for a spring 40, one end of the spring being seated in enveloping relation to the cross head bushing and the other end being seated in a recess 41 formed in the plug 28. Spring being under compression functions to raise the cross head against Wall 22 of the trans verse slot 21.

A set of slips 45, more clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, are provided at opposed sides of the body 11, the slips comprising wedgeshaped elements of hardened steel and having both horizontally and vertically arranged biting teeth 46, 47, respectively, on their arcuate faces. On the under face of each slip is provided a dove-tail key 48 which at its relatively upper end terminates in a semi-circular key portion. The slips fit into machined notches cut into the body 11 on each side thereof, the notches converging towards each other in a relatively upward direction and being defined by the right-angle surfaces 50,

1 51, respectively. Surface 51 is provided with an undercut keyway 52 which terminates in a semi-circular configuration. It will thus be seen that the way 52 may be readily formed by a conventional milling cutter.

The slips are of a length so as to be accommodated snugly between the wall of the body notches and the wall 22 of the transverse slot 21. Against the latter the cross head 34, under urge of spring 40, normally engages and, consequently, cross head 34 with its associated spring serves to hold the slips fast rior to pressure being exerted on piston 32. y such an arrangement the slips are held in retracted position against accldental displace- I ment during insertion into or withdrawal of the tool from the casing.

The operation of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is as follows: The device is inserted within the casing section to be unscrewed and pulled from the well, and the tube 15 is connected with a source of fluid pressure and similarly coupled to a power rotating and raising means, it being understood that fluid pressure is not communicated to piston 32 until desired. In the absence of such fluid pressure, the piston 32 and cross head 34 are maintained in raised p0sition by the action of spring 40. Consequently the slips 45 are held snugly in'retracted position as illustrated in Fig. 1. When cou pling of the slips with the casing is desired, fluid pressure is transmitted through tube 15 into bore 16 and acts against piston 32, forcirig the same into seating relation with shoulder 18. This pressure is suflicient to move the cross head downwardly against the urge of spring 40, and slips 45 move downwardly through gravity and are expanded radially relative to the body 11 of the tool into contacting engagement with casing 10, as will be seen with reference to Fig. 2.

If it is desired to unscrew a casing section 11 from a lower section, it will be understood that threads 13 will be cut left-handed as conventional threading between the tube sections consists of right-hand threads. Consequently, rotation of the tool in such manner as to unthread the casing section 11 from a lowermost section does not cause uncoupling of tube 15 from the body 11. Such rotative force, by the longitudinal biting teeth 47 of slips 45, is transmitted to the casing section and acts to unscrew the same. The horizontally arranged biting teeth 46 of the slips bite into the inner wall of the casing section when an upward or pulling force is applied to the tool and function to hold the casing to the tool as the latter is pulled upwardly.

If for some reason the casing section has become lodged to a degree that unscrewing is found impossible or impractical, it will be readily understood that fluid pressure in bore 16 may be discontinued to permit the slips 45 to assume their initial retracted position in relation to the body 11 and the tool may be withdrawn from the casing. Branch bores 17 function to relieve bore 16 of excess pressure during continued operation of the pump over and above that necessary to move the cross head 34 downwardly against the urge of spring 40.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified device in which an alternative method of circulating the fluid under pressure is proposed. In

such embodiment no relief pressure bores in the spear body, such as the bores 17 of the Figs. 1 and 2 construction, are provided, excess pressure being exhausted through the tool by the longitudinally bored plunger 32a, 33a, and a connected exhaust tube 55 which delivers through a bore-in plug or tip 28a. The diameter of the bore for a portion or all of its length is such as to regulate the pressure acting against the plunger head. In

this modified form of the invention, the T- piece comprising cross head 34 and its extending bushing 35 may be eliminated. and stop pins 56 which screw into the exhaust tube 55 perform the function of a crosshead.

Alternatively, the bored plunger 32a, 33a may be extended longitudinally to extend through the spear body and tip 28a, thus to take the place of exhaust tube 55, in which event, pins foo 56 are, screw-threaded in or otherwise fixed ing and rangeof equivalencyof the followingclaims. Y

-Iclaim: T p

1. In a device of from a normally, retracted position therein into coupling engagement with a well casing, a cross head disposed below the slips.;and -movable in the body, the slips engaging with and being supported on the cross head, spring means contained within the body and opering a connection withqa source of fluid pressure, a reciprocating plunger within the body responsive to such pressure, and-a connection between the plunger and the crosshead,

2.- In a device of thecharaoter described, body portion having a bore in communicationwith a source of fluidpressure, the body portionhaving a transverse slot in which the bore terminates, aplunger jmovable in the bore and including a plunger .rod ezgtending through the bore to theslot, a crosshead car: ried by said rod and'movable in the slot, slips mounted in the body and movable by grav-. ity from a retracted position to a coupling relation with a well casing, said 'slips being supported freely on the cross head, and means engaging the cross head to actuate theslips' to a retracted position, the, plunger uponthe occurrence of pressure in the bore being operative to actuate the "cross head against the action of said means; i

the character described, a body portion, slips movably connected with a the body portion and movable by gravity ative-through the cross head to maintainthe slips in said retracted position, thebodyhavacting against thecross head to' maintain the slips in retracted-position, the plunger upon the urge of said spring. I

"4. In a device of the character described, a

spear body having a bore extending there throughpthe bore communicating at itsupuperfend' with a" source of'flu'id under pressure, a a longitudinally bored plunger in said bore responsive for its actuation to such'pressur'e, the-fluidpassing through the plunger for body, a transverse slot in the body into which retracted position, means carried by said which the bore terminates, a plunger movable inthe bore and including aplungerrod eX-, tendingthrough thebore to the slot, a cross 7 ihead carried by said rod and' movable'in the slot, slips mounted inthe body. and movable by gravity from a retracted'position to v a coupling relation with a -well'casing, said slips being supportedfreely on the cross head, and the body being further bored for p the reception of a spring therein, the spring discharge, adjacentthe tip endof the spear 1 plunger on which said slips are supported, e'

slips in normal, retracted position. I 1

5. In a device of the character described, a spearrbody having a bore extendingltherethrough, the bore communicating at its upper 'end with.- a source of fluid underpressure, a

longitudinally bored plunger in-sa'i'd bore recharge adjacent the tip end of thespear body,

{a transverse slot, inthe, body intolwhich said plunger'extends, slips mounted on said body I and movable by gravity from a normal, re

ported, and alspring arranged in said bore about a portion of said plunger and react- America, ithis 1st dayrof February,'1932.

JAMES LITTELL.

and a-spring arranged in saidbore and re acting-against said .firstmeansto hold the, i I

sponsive for its actuation to such pressure, the fluid passing through the plunger for dis- .tracted position, stop pins carried by said v plu'nger'on which said-slips are freely sup} ,-ing against said first means to hold the slips I 'i 3. In a device of the character described,. 1 a body portion having a bore in communi- 50 cation with a source of fluid pressure, the 1 body portion having a transverse slot in 

